Conventionally, a camera integral with optical fibers is used, for example, for dental or other medical uses. This kind of camera is required to be small, as well as to light up an area to be treated. In order to meet these requirements, a camera is provided with an illumination device using optical fibers. Such a camera is disclosed, for example, in Japanese laid-open publication No. Hei. 8-332170A (pages 3 to 4, and FIG. 1).
FIG. 11 shows a front-end part of a conventional camera integral with optical fibers. A camera 101 has a tubular housing 103, in which a CCD or other imaging devices and an image processing circuit are housed. On the side of the front end of the housing 103 is provided a shooting window 105, in which a prism is inserted. Light that enters through the shooting window 105 is bent by the prism and guided in the tube direction. Emission windows 107 are placed as an illumination device on both sides of the shooting window 105.
FIG. 12 is a cross section of the camera of FIG. 11. As shown in the figure, an optical fiber component 109 is fixed in the housing 103. The optical fiber component 109 is an aggregate of thin fibers. Many thin fibers are bundled with a front-end fitting 111 and hardened by a bonding agent, thus producing the part having the configuration shown in the figure. This separate part, the optical fiber component 109, is fixed in the housing 103 by hand.
In the assembling work, the optical fiber component 109 is inserted into the housing 103 from behind so that the front-end fitting 111 goes farther and farther into the housing 103, and then the front-end fitting 111 is placed near the emission window 107. When used, the optical fiber component 109 guides illumination light, which is then emitted from the emission window 107.
Additionally, sapphire glass is inserted in and bonded to the emission window 107, thus ensuring sufficient waterproof capability.
As described above, the optical fiber component, that is a separate component bundled with the front-end fitting, is fixed to the conventional camera integral with optical fibers. For this reason, it is not easy to form the part using the fitting, to incorporate the part, and to incorporate the optical fiber component into the housing. In addition, since the sapphire glass for waterproof use is inserted in the emission window 107 in the conventional camera integral with optical fibers, light emitted from the optical fibers is reflected off the sapphire glass. Consequently, the amount of light decreases by the amount corresponding to the reflection.